Hola Todos!
Well, the trekking has continued...this time, I headed out with Seppe from Cusco to do the infamous Choquequirau trek. These are Inca ruins that are tauted to be larger than Machu Picchu, but are much less excavated, harder to get to, and relatively unknown. The only way to see them is by hiking there, which is what we did. (Note: the vast majority of people choose to do this trek with a guide and horses. But of course, we couldn't do it that way...) After departing from a small village (Cachora) about 4 hours from Cusco on Th morning, we soon found out why most people take horses with them...to carry their stuff up and down the steep, steep switchbacks! These were some of the most intense and continuous switchbacks I have ever seen. Our saving grace was the altitude, which was lower than Cusco...thank goodness.
Day 2 started with a descent into the valley floor and, after crossing the Rio Apurimac, we headed UP. And up and up and up. Constant switchbacks for 7 hours had our legs quite tired when we finally reached the ruins, where we camped for the night. The ruins are divided into 2 different sections, the main part being on the top of the mountain. There is also stone terracing part way down the mountain face, where it is thought the Incas cultivated their crops. The morning of Day 3 we rose early and hiked up to the top of the ruins. We were alone, wandering through ancient stone buildings and tossing a frisbee atop the highest peak. Quite an amazing morning.
After exploring for a few hours, we started the 2-day trek back to where we started. We re-traced our steps (painfully) back to an amazing campsite on the other side of the river, where we were blessed with an incredible sunset...a nice way to end a tiring day! The morning of Day 4 we arose early, to begin our 19km hike out of the canyon. And you think that is where the story ends. Ha! It continues...
Back in Cachora in mid-afternoon, we struggled to find a way back to Cusco. We found a taxi to take us out to the main road, where we waited for 2 hours, as full buses and taxis passed, already loaded down with people heading back to Cusco from the weekend away. Finally, a nice man and his girlfriend stopped and picked us up, saying they were headed back to Cusco and wouldn't mind having us hitch a ride. Very nice! (I love this country.) However, karma got the best of us, as the man´s (turned out to be a police officer from Cusco) car broke down 1/2 hour later. After some rather interesting-looking fixing techniques (which included Seppe and I running behind it, pushing the car so it could start), we got it going again, only to have it putter out a 2nd time 15mns later. This time, he decided to have his battery charged, which he did and we were on our way. That is, until it got dark and we were in the middle of NOWHERE where, of course, it broke down again, this time for good. Seppe and I stood on the side of the road hailing cars and trucks for 3 hours, until finally we got a trucker to stop and pick us up. He was a nice guy who brought us all the way to Cusco (still 140 km away at that point). Returning to the house at 1am, dirty, hungry, cold, wet, and tired was NOT exactly how we thought we'd end our journey. But then again, it's all part of traveling!
So, there you have it! The adventure continues...I will be in Cusco for the next days, and then off to meet back up with Lib and Benj to do some trekking and exploring in the Arequipa area (southwestern Peru). I will keep the blog up-to-date as much as I can and, of course, get some pics up from the recent jaunt. (The current computer is so old it doesn't have a USB port...shocking!) Keep the emails coming - it is great to get news from home!
Besos from the Andes,
Laurita
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